Top spinner



D. A. SWERDLOFF July 21 1925.

TOP SPINNER Filed' Dec. 15 1923 0 07/ \WsrJ/ ff l 7/ WW Patented July 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENTTO'FFICE;

DAVID A. SWERDLOFF, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISGONSIN.

T01? SPINNER.

Application filed. December 13, 1923.

tain new and useful Improvements in Top Spinners; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to toys and is particularly directed to a rotary toy such as a top.

Objects of this invention are to provide a top which is equipped with a shell adapted to be held in the hand of an operator, and provided with means for rotating the body portion ofthe top backwardly and forwardly while the operator alternately pulls and releases a string, such string extending outwardly from the casing and to so relate the parts that the top may be spun as an ordinary top detached from the casing when it is desired.

Further objects are to provide means carried by the casing, under the control of the operator, adapted to detach the top from the casing and its associated parts while the top is in rapid motion, and to provide means which may be easily manipulated by a child, and which is not likely to get out of order.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the top, such section being taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1.

The top comprises a body portion composed of an upper and a lower portion 1 and 2, respectively, one or both of which being provided wit-h apertures 3 and with crimped or folded edges 4. The lower sec tion is provided with a point 5 upon which the top is adapted to spin. The upper portion 1 carries a casing 6 which is held thereto in any convenient manner as by means of a plurality of outwardly turned projections 7 passed through the section 1, as shown in Figure 1. This casing 6 is provided with a central aperture through its upper side and the section 1 is provided with a pyramidal depression 8 at its central upper portion.

A shell 9 preferably of cylindrical contour, is provided with a revolubly mounted spindle 10 which is held against axial motion Serial No. 680,425.

but ma freel rotate in such casin u I b u spindle is cylindrical throughout the" ma or portion of its length but is provided with a squared portion 11 which projects down wardly below the casing and terminates in a pointed end 12 of pyramidal shape adapted to lit the depression 8. One of the flat sides of the squared portion 11 is provided with. a notch 13 withm which a spring let 18 adapted to seat. This spring is riveted or otherwise secured, as indicated at 15, to the inner side of the casing6, as clearly shown in. Figure 2, and is provided with an out'- wardly projecting angularly arranged arm- 16. A crescent shaped cam member 117 is Thissecured to the outer end of this arm and pro jects through a slot formed in the c-asingG; This cam member is preferably provided with cars 18 which seat against the inner side of the casing 6 and prevent the cam member from passing completely outwardly from such casing.

The shell 9 is further provided with a relatively small vertical plunger 19 slidably mounted therein and provided with an upper manipulating thumb piece 20 and with a flange 21 spaced therefrom and located interiorly of the casing. A helical spring 22 loosely surrounds the pin 19 and bears at one end against the flange 21 and at its other end against the bottom of the casing thus yieldingly retaining the plunger 19 in its elevated position. The cylindrical portion of the spindle 10 is provided with an aperture therethrough. A string 23 is threaded through the aperture and secured to the spindle in any suitable way and is passed through an eyelet 24: formed in the vertical wall of the shell 9.

It is to be noted from the drawings that the normal position of the plunger 19 is above the cam 17. However, the cam occupies the position below the plunger only for a small portion of a revolution of the top. Consequently the plunger may be de pressed, and when the cam again moves into proximity to the plunger it will be pressed inwardly and will thus actuate the releasing mechanism. In other words, the position of the plunger shown in the drawings is its inoperative position.

In operation the shell 9 is held in one hand of the operator and the cord 23 is wound upon the spindle by rotating the body portion of the top. Thereafter, the cord is pulled outwardly thus causing the body portion to rapidly spin. Inasmuch as the spindle and body portion are, under these conditions, rigidly connected and held in locked position with respect to each other, the cord will be wound around the spindle in a reversed direction due to the momentum of the body portion of the top. It may again be pulled out and the top caused to rotate in the reverse direction. Thus by alternately pulling upon and releas ing the string, the top may be caused to rapidly rotate while the shell is held in the hand of the operator.

A. further mode of operation permits the top to be spun in the usual manner. This is accomplished by spinning the top by pulling outwardly upon the string 23 and towards the limit of the outward motion of the string depressing the spindle 19 by pressing upon the thumb piece 20. This causes the lower end of the spindle to come into the path of movement or the cam 1'7 and this depresses the cam and depresses the spring 14: outwardly from the notch 13 thus allowing the detaching oi the spindle and the body portion of the top and permitting the top to freely rotate independently of the spindle.

It will thus be seen that a top has been provided which may be operated in either of two distinct ways.

1,5ee,s12

It will further be seen that a very simple and sturdy construction has been provided which may be readily manipulated by a child and which is not likely to get out of order.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that the invention may be variously embodied and is, therefore, to be limited only as claimed.

I claim:

A top comprising a body portion having a spindle receiving casing, a shell having an aperture therethrough, a spindle revolubly carried by said shell and projecting therefrom and adapted to enter said casing, a string secured to said spindle and projecting through said aperture, spring mechanism located within said casing for locking said spindle within said casing, a cam connected with said spring mechanism, and a resiliently held member carried by said shell and adapted to be projected into the path of said cam while said body portion is rotating to detach sa'd spring mechanism from said spindle.

.ln testimony that 1 claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county 01 Milwaukee and State of isconsin.

DAVID A. Sl/VERDLOFF. 

